The Executive Director of Student Administration and Academic Affairs is a new strategic role designed to ensure the highest quality leadership and management is in place for those parts of the University that deliver the elements of the student experience relating to student administration and academic affairs. This includes providing support for the academic community through educational and doctoral administration.

This post is a critical appointment for the University, reflected in the role’s leadership of a team of around 300 staff and its reporting line into the Deputy Vice President Operations, Senior Executive Director Students and Infrastructure.

In this role you will revitalise our work in this space and develop our capabilities to ensure we are successful as we seek to modernise our student administration, regulations, processes and systems. You will lead a new Directorate, shaping and delivering refreshed strategies and operating plan which will, in turn, build a best-in-class student administration and academic affairs function.

It has never been a better time to join the University. Our University Strategy  is ambitious, we are about to embark upon one of the largest upgrades of our physical and digital infrastructure in our history.

About you

You will be an ambitious and inspirational leader with the ability to lead change and apply first-class systems thinking to a broad and multifaceted area of activity. With a leadership background amassed in a large and complex academic organisation, your track record will evidence significant experience of developing regulations, processes and systems that support first-class student administration for both students and staff. Your extensive knowledge of the higher education regulatory landscape will enable you to advise senior staff and you will possess the ability to influence your stakeholders through your professional expertise and capability.

What we can offer you

As a founding member of the prestigious Russell Group, we have a global reputation for delivering world-class education, research and enterprise that makes a real impact on society’s biggest challenges. These challenges are broad and complex, and it is more important than ever that we work creatively to reaffirm what matters most to us as a diverse community.

We believe that we can only truly meet our objectives if we are reflective of society, so we are passionate about creating an environment in which you are free to bring your whole self to work. Our vision and mission at the University of Southampton is to have a community where staff and students feel welcome, supported, and valued. This environment fosters a culture of inclusion, respect, and equality of opportunity, encouraging applicants from diverse backgrounds, with the belief that excellence will be achieved through recognising the value of every individual.

With a generous holiday allowance as well as additional university closure days we are committed to supporting our staff and students and open to a flexible working approach.

If you want to take your career to new heights and believe you have the skills, experience, and drive to help shape the future of the University of Southampton, then we look forward to receiving your application.

See how we come together as a community to achieve the remarkable and tackle global and local challenges. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_RC-ukjqhA